SOAP notes for therapists.Generated in seconds.
If you need a SOAP note template but do not want to fill one out by hand, start here. Describe what happened in the session and get a structured SOAP note in seconds. Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan. Text input only. Built to hold less client data.
S: Subjective
What the client reports: their concerns, experiences, and presenting issues in their own words.
O: Objective
What you observe: affect, behavior, engagement, homework adherence, measurable indicators.
A: Assessment
Clinical interpretation, functional patterns, treatment response, and diagnostic considerations.
P: Plan
Interventions planned, homework assigned, next session focus, next appointment date.
AI generates all four sections from your free-text summary.
Direct answer
What is a SOAP note in therapy?
A SOAP note is a structured clinical documentation format that separates the client's subjective report from the therapist's objective observations, followed by an assessment and a treatment plan. The SOAP format originated in medicine and was adapted for mental health documentation. Its four-section structure forces a clinical distinction between what the client says happened and what the therapist observed, which is particularly valuable in supervision, training programs, and any setting where that distinction needs to be documented clearly.
SOAP is the most widely taught format in clinical training programs and is required by many university practicums, internship sites, and licensing supervision agreements. It differs from DAP (which combines S and O into a single Data section) and from BIRP (which organizes documentation around intervention rather than symptom presentation). The right format depends on your setting, supervisor requirements, and documentation preferences.
Good. You should be skeptical of AI note generators.
Most tools process your session data on their servers, store it, and use vague language like “HIPAA-compliant” without explaining their architecture. Reframe is different: progress notes, worksheets, session prep and Thinking Partner run on Amazon Web Services under Amazon's Business Associate Agreement with Reframe, and your session summary is processed for the request and not stored by Reframe on the server. Sign in with a free account to use them. You review and finalize every note. The AI drafts. You decide what goes in the chart.
How it works
Three steps. No recording. No transcript cleanup. SOAP note ready for your EHR.
01
Describe the session
Type a brief summary in your own clinical language. Include what the client reported, what you observed, interventions used, and client response.
02
Choose SOAP format
Open the progress note generator and select SOAP. The AI structures your summary into S, O, A, and P sections automatically.
03
Review and finalize
Edit the draft, complete [Therapist to complete] placeholders, confirm clinical accuracy, and paste into your EHR.
Real SOAP note example
Example input and output from a typical anxiety-focused CBT session.
What the therapist typed
"50 min session. Client reported ongoing worry about conflict with her manager and fear of saying the wrong thing. Used cognitive restructuring and role-played one assertive statement. Client was initially avoidant, then engaged and identified one concrete boundary for this week. Homework: write two versions of boundary script."
Generated SOAP note
S (Subjective)
Client reports anxiety related to workplace conflict with manager and fear of making communication mistakes. Client describes anticipatory worry and difficulty asserting needs.
O (Objective)
Client initially demonstrated avoidant response to role-play exercise, then increased engagement and participation. Client identified one specific boundary statement to implement this week. [Therapist to complete: affect/appearance observations].
A (Assessment)
Anxiety appears linked to anticipatory fear of interpersonal conflict and negative evaluation. Client showed improved cognitive flexibility with coaching and behavioral rehearsal. Avoidance pattern decreasing with structured intervention.
P (Plan)
Continue cognitive restructuring and behavioral rehearsal in next session. Homework: write and review two boundary script options. [Therapist to complete: next appointment date].
Why text-input beats recording for SOAP notes
Faster, cleaner, and easier to control clinically.
Fewer consent complications
Recording requires explicit consent process and storage decisions. Text input keeps workflow closer to standard documentation.
No transcription cleanup
You avoid fixing transcript errors from accents, overlapping speech, and clinical terminology misrecognition.
Better clinical signal
Your summary reflects what mattered clinically, not every conversational detail. The O section captures what you observed, not a raw transcript.
Lower privacy exposure
No audio files or transcript archives to manage, secure, or account for in your HIPAA documentation.
SOAP notes in supervised practice
SOAP is the default for practicum, internship, and residency for one reason: the format shows supervisors exactly how you think.
Why supervisors prefer SOAP
S/O separation is a diagnostic skill
Distinguishing what the client says from what you observe tells your supervisor you are thinking clinically, not just listening.
Assessment reveals your formulation
Supervisors use the Assessment section to evaluate your clinical reasoning. Summary is not formulation. They want to see how you connect observations to the clinical picture.
Plan reflects treatment alignment
A vague Plan section is a supervision red flag. Specific next steps show that your session had therapeutic direction.
Using AI drafts without undermining learning
Use the structure, write the Assessment yourself
Let the AI scaffold the S, O, and P sections. The Assessment is where your clinical reasoning lives. Write that part yourself.
Do not paste AI Assessment language verbatim
Supervisors recognize AI phrasing. More importantly, Assessment is a learning exercise. The value is in generating the formulation, not having it generated for you.
Edit the Objective to match your actual observation
AI drafts fill in plausible affect and behavior. You saw the session. Correct anything that does not match what you actually observed.
Reframe generates a complete SOAP draft from your post-session summary. For supervised contexts, use the draft as a starting point and write the Assessment in your own clinical voice before submitting to your supervisor.
SOAP vs DAP vs BIRP
SOAP is the most widely taught format, but it is not always the best fit. Use the structure your setting requires.
| Format | Best for | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| SOAP | Supervision, training programs, private practice | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan |
| DAP | Agency and high-volume settings | Data, Assessment, Plan |
| BIRP | Intervention-focused documentation | Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan |
| GIRP | Goal-oriented treatment plans | Goals, Interventions, Response, Plan |
| PIRP | Problem-focused structured programs | Problem, Intervention, Response, Plan |
Common SOAP note mistakes
Documentation issues that show up in supervision and how structured generation helps prevent them.
Mixing client report with clinical observation
SOAP forces separation: Subjective is what the client says, Objective is what you see. AI-generated drafts maintain this distinction from your summary.
Leaving out the rationale in Assessment
The Assessment section should explain your clinical reasoning, not just restate symptoms. Generated drafts include interpretation framing you can edit.
Writing notes too late and forgetting detail
Generate immediately after session and edit while context is fresh. Text-input takes under two minutes.
Over-documenting irrelevant conversational detail
Your summary focuses on what mattered clinically. The AI structures that into clean sections without the transcript noise.
Copy-paste repetition across sessions
Each note is generated from the current session summary. Content is session-specific, not templated from a previous note.
Vague Plan sections
Generated drafts include specific next steps and homework details from your summary, with placeholders for anything you need to add.
SOAP note tools compared
Reframe vs recording-first tools for SOAP documentation.
| Feature | Reframe | Mentalyc | Upheal | AutoNotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input method | Text summary | Audio recording | Audio recording | Mixed |
| Recording required | No | Yes | Yes | Often |
| SOAP support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data retention posture | Processed, not retained | Platform storage | Platform storage | Platform storage |
| Free tier | Free account (20 notes every 30 days) | Limited trial | Limited trial | Limited trial |
Simple, transparent pricing
20 free progress notes every 30 days with a free account. Worksheets and workflow tools start with a free account.
Pro is $29 a month with no cap.
| What you get | Free account | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Progress notes | 20 a month, all six formats | No cap |
| Client worksheets | 3 worksheets | No cap |
| Session prep | 3 guides | No cap |
| Thinking Partner | 1 run | No cap |
| Price | Free | $29 a month |
HIPAA & Security
Built to hold less client data
Most tools promise HIPAA compliance and then store and transcribe your sessions anyway. Reframe takes typed text, processes it for your request, and does not retain it afterward.
Runs on Amazon Web Services
Progress notes, worksheets, session prep and Thinking Partner run on Amazon Web Services under Amazon's Business Associate Agreement with Reframe. An agreement alone does not make any particular use HIPAA compliant.
Processed, not retained
Your session text is processed for your request and not retained afterward. It is not kept for training and it is not stored alongside a client record.
No PHI used for training
Your session content is never used to train AI models. It is used only for the single generation request you initiate.
Your Format
Save your format once. Every note follows it.
Your clinic's SOAP is not quite textbook SOAP? Therapists kept telling us the same thing: the note is only done when it comes back in their own sections, in their own order, with interventions named the way insurance expects. So that is how Reframe works now. Paste a blank example of your format once in Settings, pick "My format", and every note mirrors your sections, your order, your style.
One honest limit: it mirrors formatting only. Missing clinical information still reads [Therapist to complete], never invented. Your saved format is stored in this browser. Account records and other service data have separate storage and retention.
Free accounts can save a format and use it on 20 notes a month.
Frequently asked questions
What is a SOAP note in therapy?
A SOAP note is a structured clinical documentation format with four sections: Subjective (what the client reports), Objective (what the therapist observes), Assessment (clinical interpretation and judgment), and Plan (treatment goals and next steps). It is one of the most widely used formats in therapy, supervision, and training programs.
What does SOAP stand for in clinical notes?
SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. The Subjective section captures the client's reported experience. The Objective section captures the therapist's clinical observations. Assessment is the clinical interpretation. Plan covers next steps and homework.
How is SOAP different from DAP?
SOAP separates client report (Subjective) from therapist observation (Objective) into two distinct sections, making it ideal for supervision and training contexts where that distinction matters. DAP combines them into a single Data section, making it faster to write. Both are valid; the right format depends on your setting.
When should I use SOAP format?
Use SOAP when your supervisor, training program, or licensing board requires it, when the distinction between client report and clinical observation is important for your documentation, or in private practice settings with no mandated format. SOAP is the standard in many clinical placements and university training clinics.
Is this SOAP note generator free?
Yes. A free account includes 20 progress notes every 30 days across all formats, SOAP included. Pro takes the cap off and adds worksheets, session prep, and thinking partner.
How does this tool handle client information?
Progress notes, worksheets, session prep and Thinking Partner run on Amazon Web Services under Amazon's Business Associate Agreement with Reframe. Your session text is processed for the request and not stored by Reframe on the server; Reframe keeps usage counts and, for progress notes, audit records, without session text, and anything you save to your library stays in your browser. An agreement alone does not make any particular use HIPAA compliant, so your practice's own safeguards still apply.
Does this tool record sessions?
No. Reframe is text-input only. You type a brief summary of the session after it ends. There is no microphone, no recording, and no transcript to review.
What goes in the O (Objective) section of a SOAP note?
The Objective section covers what the therapist directly observed: the client's affect, behavior in session, engagement level, homework completion, and any measurable clinical indicators. It should reflect therapist observation rather than client self-report.
Will the AI make up details I did not provide?
No. Reframe uses anti-hallucination safeguards and inserts [Therapist to complete] placeholders when required information is missing from your input. It never fabricates clinical content.
Can I paste SOAP notes into my EHR?
Yes. After reviewing the generated draft and completing any placeholders, you copy the note into your EHR documentation field. Reframe does not integrate directly with EHR systems.
What settings commonly use SOAP notes?
SOAP notes are common in private practice, university training clinics, supervision contexts, hospital-based outpatient programs, and any setting where distinguishing client report from clinical observation is a documentation requirement.
How long should a SOAP note be?
Most outpatient therapy SOAP notes run 150-400 words. Supervised trainees often write longer notes because supervisors want to see the clinical reasoning in the Assessment section. Private practitioners with established clients can be more concise. Write enough to reconstruct the session clinically and defend your decisions in an audit.
Can I use SOAP notes for telehealth sessions?
Yes. SOAP format applies identically to telehealth. The Objective section should note that the session was conducted via telehealth and include any relevant observations about the client's environment or technical quality if clinically significant. The format, content requirements, and documentation standards are the same as in-person.
What is the best note format for supervised practice: SOAP, DAP, or BIRP?
SOAP. Most supervisors were trained on SOAP, and the format's explicit separation of Subjective (client report) from Objective (clinical observation) shows your supervisors that you distinguish between what the client says and what you see. SOAP Assessment sections also give supervisors a clear window into your clinical reasoning. Check what your specific supervisor or training program requires.
20 free notes every 30 days with a free account
Generate your first SOAP note free
Sign in with a free account. SOAP, DAP, BIRP, GIRP, PIRP, and Narrative formats all available.
Open SOAP Note GeneratorSelect “SOAP” from the format dropdown after clicking above.